One Little Word
by PJ in NH
Summary: 7, P/T -- One little word can mean so much


Title: One Little Word  
Author: PJ in NH   
Series: VOY  
Rating: [R]  
Codes: 7, P/T  
Part: 1/2 NEW  
Synopsis: One little word can mean so much. Takes place sometime  
after Bride of Chaotica in the fifth season.  
Email: kelhapam@worldpath.net  
Posting: OK to ASC, ASCEM, & BLTS. Please notify me if you  
post anywhere else.  
Note of Appreciation: Special thanks to my beta readers Ann  
Harding and Annie M. Thanks ladies, you helped make this story  
possible.  
  
One Little Word  
by PJ in NH  
8/99  
  
  
"Hey," B'Elanna said looking up from her dinner plate as Tom  
neared her table. Her eyes were heavily lidded from lack of  
sleep and an over abundance of work.  
  
"Hey," he replied in turn and sat down in front of her.   
Listlessly, he picked up half of a green lix melon that she had  
left on her plate. He examined it half-heartedly and finally  
popped it into his mouth.  
  
Seven, who was sitting two tables over trying to assimilate her  
meal, paid close attention to Voyager's lovebirds, but she was  
also puzzled. She took a spoonful of Neelix's daily special and  
painfully swallowed the pink gel-like substance, still  
contemplating Tom and B'Elanna's exchange.  
  
"Good to see you in here today, Seven," Neelix chirped up. He  
had come out to the seating area to help clean up the tables.   
"How do you like my Gelatin Goulash today?"  
  
The ex-Borg grimaced. "It is adequate."   
  
"Well tomorrow, I'm baking a leken bean soup, that you'll like  
even better," the cook advised.  
  
Seven pushed the last of her meal away from her. "I require an  
explanation."  
  
Neelix looked at her and then to the untouched food on the plate.   
"Well first I clean the crab beetles then..."  
  
"Not about the food," she said abruptly cutting him off. "About  
Lt. Torres and Ensign Paris."  
  
Neelix looked over to the pair still sitting quietly together.   
He shrugged his shoulders. "What about Tom and B'Elanna?   
Everything looks fine."  
  
"Before Mr. Paris joined B'Elanna, she looked up and said 'hey'  
and he replied 'hey' as well. Then they sat down like you see  
them now." She looked up at the Talaxian. "According to the  
definition I found in Voyager's databanks, 'H-A-Y' is a type of  
cut grass used as forage, or spelt 'H-E-Y' is an exclamation to  
call attention or to express pleasure, surprise, or bewilderment.   
I have eliminated the first definition, but even the word H-E-Y  
does not explain how they used the word. What did they mean?"  
  
Neelix cupped his chin in his hand and contemplated the pair.   
Then he looked back at Seven opened his mouth a bit, closed it,  
and returned to observing the lieutenant and ensign. At that  
moment, B'Elanna yawned and she and Tom stood up. Tom placed his  
arm around B'Elanna's slumping shoulders and they slowly exited  
the mess hall. Finally, the Talaxian turned back to Seven.   
  
"They are tired," he concluded.   
  
"The word 'hey' means 'I am tired'?"  
  
"That would be my guess, but if you want to know more, I'd  
suggest that you speak to Harry or maybe Captain Janeway or  
Chakotay. They would know more about it than I would. Earth  
Standard I have found to be very complicated. Not as difficult  
as the Koranari, but..." He noticed her look of impatience, it  
was difficult not to with two blue eyes staring at him and that  
raised Borg ocular implant. "Yes, speak with one of the other  
senior officers, but not Mr. Vulcan. He wouldn't know," he  
suggested again shaking his head sadly.  
  
Seven stood up and took her food tray in her hands. "I will take  
you up on your suggestion. Thank you."  
  
Watching her attractive form walk away, Neelix's gaze returned to  
where the pair had been seated and shook his head once again then  
returned to wiping up the tables.   
  
Seven deposited her tray in the recycler, and exited the mess  
hall. Anticipating Tom and B'Elanna's destination, she took a  
left and picked up her pace. She took the turbolift to Deck 9  
and proceeded towards Section 12. Before she was half-way to  
B'Elanna's quarters, she saw the couple up ahead. Being sure to  
maintain a safe distance behind them, she observed their actions.   
  
  
In the relative privacy of the corridor, B'Elanna leaned her head  
against Tom's chest. Tom continued to support her with his arm  
around her, resting his head on the top of his mate's. If it  
weren't for their height difference, this position would have  
been tantamount to impossible to accomplish comfortably.   
Together they navigated the remaining distance to B'Elanna's  
cabin. Their pace was slow but sure, each supporting the other.   
After they entered the cabin, Seven stepped out from her position  
behind the corner.   
  
"Apparently, 'hey' does mean that they are tired. But I will  
continue my observations."  
  
~~~  
  
The next morning, Seven reported for duty on the bridge. Today  
she was to coordinate her research in interstellar radiation with  
Harry before completing the assignment on her own. She  
approached the ops station and noticed that Tom was already  
speaking to his friend.   
  
This is a good time to practice the social skills the Doctor  
suggested. she thought. "Good morning, Ensign Kim, Ensign  
Paris." She nodded to each man.  
  
Harry nodded back and smiled.  
  
"Good morning yourself, Seven." Tom replied.   
  
"You appear well rested," she added taking in his bright eyes and  
cheerful demeanor.  
  
"That I am. And Seven, when we are away from the bridge it's  
Tom, remember?"  
  
"Tom. I will not forget."  
  
He smiled back offering her encouragement. "Well, better get  
back to my post before anyone shows up." He started to head back  
to the conn and had just seated himself when the door to the  
turbolift opened and the Captain and Commander Chakotay entered  
the bridge.  
  
"I don't know how he does it," Harry whispered to Seven. "He can  
just sense when the Captain or Chakotay are about to make an  
appearance. Now, what was it you wanted to see me about?"  
  
Seven explained her assignment and he offered her his advice.  
  
She was just about to leave Kim's station when the turbolift  
opened again, this time depositing B'Elanna Torres on the bridge  
level. She walked down to the command center greeted the Captain  
and passed the First Officer a dataPADD containing her  
engineering report for the past week, then glanced down toward  
the helm.  
  
Tom's blue eyes sparkled as if they held some secret and his  
mouth turned up slightly. "Hey."  
  
"Hey," she replied. B'Elanna twitched her nose and a winked at  
the pilot. Then she dismissed herself from the Captain and  
Chakotay's presence and left to return to engineering.  
  
"They did it again," Seven said in a low voice to Harry.  
  
"Did what?"  
  
"They said the word 'hey' to each other."  
  
"So?"  
  
"In the mess hall last night they had the same brief  
conversation, but Neelix explained to me that it meant that they  
were tired. I observed them and came to the same conclusion  
myself. This time though, it did not seem that they were  
overworked or suffering from lack of sleep. Explain."  
  
Harry blushed slightly. He had observed the pair for a lot  
longer than Seven, and had known them even before they had become  
mates. "I think in this instance, they both meant that they had  
a good morning."  
  
"A good morning?"  
  
"Um..." he dropped his voice lower. "To be blunt, Seven. I  
would venture to guess that the 'hey' you heard meant roughly: I  
had a good time this morning, let's do it again sometime."  
  
"They had intercourse and they both enjoyed the experience?" the  
ex-Borg replied even more bluntly than Harry.  
  
"Ah...yeah...right." She never ceased to surprise him.  
  
Chakotay and the Captain looked up at the ops station. Seven and  
Harry greeted them with a smile.  
  
"Something's up," Chakotay whispered into the Captain's ear.   
  
"I know, Seven just smiled."  
  
"Maybe we imagined it?"  
  
Janeway smiled herself.  
  
~~~~  
  
"You should have heard them this morning," Sue Nicoletti said to  
her good friend, Ensign Nirene Chase as they sat having their  
lunch. It was a conversation that did not go unnoticed by Seven  
of Nine who sat behind them with Harry Kim. "They woke me up at  
0500, I don't know whether to be upset or jealous."  
  
Nirene chuckled, her short red hair bouncing along with the  
vibration of her laughter. "They were a bit loud were they?"  
  
"A bit? They were so loud, at least B'Elanna was, that I could  
probably accurately tell you just how many times she...."  
  
"Sssh," Nirene cautioned. "She and Tom just showed up. I  
suggest we continue this conversation elsewhere." Sue nodded and  
she and Nirene left the table.  
  
"How many times B'Elanna did what?" Seven queried her lunch  
companion.  
  
Harry had been drinking a glass of fruit juice and sputtered at  
her question sending droplets of the liquid all other his chest  
and the table. He coughed twice, and mopped his mouth and his  
uniform with his napkin. "Seven!"   
  
Harry reddened considerably and leaned over the table, so what he  
was about to tell her wouldn't be heard by the rest of the  
diners.   
  
"She came?" Seven said a bit too loudly. "Came where? Specify."   
The diners nearest to them chuckled.   
  
"Seven," Harry hissed. "They had intercourse this morning, and  
she um...apparently achieved...um...sexual satisfaction."  
  
"She climaxed," Seven stated matter-of-factly but this time  
managed to keep her voice low enough so only Harry could hear.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Several times?"  
  
"Without a doubt."  
  
"Then it appears that your theory this morning was correct."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Computer begin log.  
  
"Ensign Kim and Mr. Neelix both appear to be correct. Apparently  
the word 'hey' has two meanings. One, I'm tired and require  
sleep. And, two, that the sex was fulfilling. Both meanings are  
very different. So different that I will have to continue to  
discreetly observe Mr. Par...ah..Tom and B'Elanna."  
  
Computer end log.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Tuvok looked up abruptly from his computer console. "Captain,  
there are five vessels approaching Voyager at Warp 9.5"  
  
"Identity?"  
  
"Unknown."  
  
"Hail them."  
  
Harry Kim's nimble fingers danced over the controls. Ultimately  
he looked up. "No response, Captain." He looked down one more  
time.   
  
"They have armed and their shields are raised," Tuvok informed  
her.  
  
"Initiate Red Alert. Mr. Tuvok, ready weapons."  
  
The lights on the bridge dimmed and the red-alert beacon flashed.  
  
"Lt. Torres, engine status."  
  
B'Elanna at her position in Engineering promptly responded.   
"Warp core is at sixty-nine percent, Captain. The best I can  
give you is Warp 7."  
  
"Tuvok, time until they intercept?"  
  
"At their current rate of speed, five point eight minutes," the  
Vulcan replied stoically.   
  
"Prepare weapons. Mr. Paris, evasive maneuvers!"  
  
"Yes, ma'am," Tom promptly replied.  
  
When they came within range of Voyager, the five alien ships  
immediately started firing their own version of a phaser.   
Despite repeated attempts to contact them, their attackers  
remained silent--deadly and silent.  
  
"Shields are at forty-eight percent and falling," Tuvok reported.  
  
"Captain, engines are maintaining at fifty-five percent but I  
don't know long it they will hold," Torres informed her.  
  
"Suggestions?" Janeway called out.  
  
Paris replied. "Captain, there is a meteor belt ten minutes from  
our current position. I think I could use those meteors to the  
ship's advantage, but..."  
  
A volley of phaser fire buffeted off the failing shields, causing  
the shields to sputter and spark.  
  
"But what, Mr. Paris?"  
  
"But it would be a very rough ride. I would suggest that the  
ship be placed under a Class IV lock down, personnel included."  
  
Janeway nodded her concurrence and immediately announced to the  
crew to initiate the Class IV procedure. All over the ship,  
equipment was secured and personnel belted themselves into their  
seats, including the pilot and the rest of the bridge staff.   
  
"It's all yours, Tom," the Captain replied from the command  
center where she was strapped to her own seat. "Good luck."  
  
Tom nodded and steered Voyager at her present top speed to the  
meteors. He called for assistance from Tuvok and Harry to keep  
him informed of the position of the ships, while he paid close  
attention to the layout of the meteors themselves. Performing  
maneuvers typically reserved for much smaller vessels, the pilot  
swung Voyager around the chunks of rock in an assortment of  
patterns. The inertial dampers and gravitational unit couldn't  
keep up with the dance Tom choreographed for the ship.   
  
If it weren't for the Class IV preparations, many of the crew  
would have required medical treatment. As it was, after four  
hours of playing this cat and mouse game, two of the alien ships  
careened into each other, a third plowed into one of the meteors,  
and the fourth and fifth finally gave up the chase and left.   
  
Bringing the ship to a stop on the other side of the meteor belt,  
Tom turned to the Captain.   
  
A bedraggled slightly green Captain Janeway scrutinized her  
pilot. "Nice work, Mr. Paris, but you can stop grinning now."   
During the entire time the ship had been at Class IV, she had  
happened to notice that Tom Paris had a self-satisfied smile on  
his face whenever her turned his head to starboard or port.   
"Tom, you and Seven," she motioned towards the ex-Borg who had  
just unfastened her security belt her hair having fallen around  
her shoulders. "Go down to Engineering and see if you can  
provide some assistance. The rest of us will handle it up  
here."  
  
Tom nodded and he and Seven of Nine exited the bridge.  
  
"Your flying was sufficient," the ex-Borg said to the pilot on  
their way down.  
  
The pilot raised both eyebrows and placed a hand over his heart.   
"Only sufficient? I was hoping that you'd say that it was  
exhilarating, stupendous, or inspired. Really, Seven, you wound  
me."  
  
The door to the turbolift slid open at the Engineering level.   
"Voyager and her crew survived. Your piloting was of sufficient  
capability to achieve that result," she said to substantiate her  
claim.   
  
"It apparently takes a lot to impress an ex-Borg," he quipped and  
walked past her and into the mayhem that was Engineering.   
  
Tom went in search of B'Elanna, and Seven trailed behind. He  
found her surrounded by half a dozen of her engineers. She was  
issuing orders at a furious pace. Seeing a familiar blond head  
above the others, she looked at him, her eyes flashing with fury.  
  
"Hey!" she all but shouted.  
  
Paris, as Seven was now accustomed to, replied, "hey" in return.   
  
Without being told, the pilot picked up a spare toolbox. "Come  
on, Seven, you can give me a hand with the navigation relays  
until B'Elanna can find time to give us something else to do."  
  
"Of course."  
  
They worked in silence for several minutes, finally Seven spoke.   
"Lt. Torres is upset."  
  
"More liked pissed off," he remarked from his position beneath  
the relay console.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Tom pulled his head out. "Why? Because of all the mess down  
here. She blames me for it."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Really, Seven, you have to develop better vocabulary skills," he  
joked.   
  
I am trying to increase my grasp of Earth Standard vocabulary.   
she thought.  
  
Seeing her perplexed look, Tom sat up. A streak of grease ran  
from his temple to his chin. "It's like this, I flew the ship so  
I caused all this chaos down here for B'Elanna to fix.   
Irregardless of whether I did it to save the ship or not, she  
feels the need to blame someone and I'm the most likely target."  
  
"It is illogical."  
  
"She's half-human and half-Klingon, Seven. She doesn't have to  
be logical all the time and I can accept that. Hell, I know I'm  
not perfect. If it helps her to target her anger toward me to  
get the work done down here, so be it," he shrugged. "It's  
happened before and this certainly won't be the last time." Tom  
saw as worried a look as he had ever seen on Seven's face.   
"Really, it's okay. She'll come around. By this time tomorrow,  
it will be like it never happened."  
  
"If you say so."  
  
Tom smiled confidently. "I do. Now, let's get this bucket of  
bolts pulled back together again, so we can repair it again  
another day."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Dressed impeccably in a two-piece wool suit and a pair of black  
pumps, Seven stood beside Harry Kim outside Holodeck Two. Her  
hair had been pulled back on both sides and secured with silver  
hair combs. She was prepared to try and assimilate, yet again,  
the fine art of recreation. Her mind though was not on the  
trials and tribulations of Miss Constance Goodheart or the heroic  
actions of Captain Proton and Buster Kincaid, it was on the  
conversation she had had with Tom Paris the day before.  
  
"I am becoming more confused," she confessed to Harry. "I heard  
another exchange between Ensign Paris and Lt. Torres yesterday in  
Engineering. They said 'hey' to each other again, but they were  
neither tired or...ahem...sexually fulfilled. Mr. Par...ah...Tom  
explained to me that B'Elanna was angry at him. Explain."  
  
"I wasn't there, Seven, but some words can take on a variety of  
different meanings depending on the inflection you use when you  
say the words. There are some languages that are based solely on  
that alone."  
  
Seven cocked her head to one side. "Species 481 were like that,"  
she recalled. "But the Borg found them to be unworthy of  
assimilation."  
  
Harry smiled and tapped the panel to the holodeck. "Hmm, seems  
like Tom's here but B'Elanna hasn't shown up yet."  
  
"B'Elanna is participating in the Captain Proton program today?"  
  
"Yes. After she was able to get the mess in Engineering cleared  
up last night, Chakotay put Joe Carey in charge of engineering  
for the afternoon. He then ordered B'Elanna to the holodecks for  
recreation and made her promise to go to bed early tonight."   
Harry punched a final button or two and the holodeck door slid  
open to reveal the black and white world of Captain Proton. The  
pair entered to find Captain Proton already seated at the helm.   
  
"What do we have to do to save the universe today, Captain?"  
Buster Kincaid, alias Harry Kim, asked already in character.  
  
Tom pivoted around on his stool. "Well, Dr. Chaotica and his  
brother Professor Disastro have kidnapped the President of Earth  
and it is our job to get him back home safe and sound."  
  
"No slave girls?" Harry questioned.  
  
"No, no slave girls, Harry," B'Elanna stated just after she  
entered the program.   
  
She was clad in a white dress that almost trailed the ground  
covering her shapely legs. The top of the outfit was cut low to  
reveal a substantial amount of cleavage. The silky fabric clung  
to her body like a second skin from her waist to just above her  
knees where it finally flared out dramatically. The dress left  
no doubt as to her gender, in fact it accentuated her assets.   
  
B'Elanna sauntered over to were Captain Proton now stood. Harry  
gratefully relished the view, and he was sure Tom liked what he  
saw as well if his friend's slack jaw was of any indication.  
  
She cast her dark sultry eyes on the hero clad in leather.   
"Hey," she said huskily.  
  
Tom gulped. "Hey," he returned in a voice an octave lower than  
usual. Then he growled.  
  
"It seems that this costume could be cutting off your  
circulation," Tom remarked. "We should do something about that."  
  
B'Elanna returned that growl with one of her own, grabbed her  
mate by the hand, and proceeded back towards the entry door.  
  
"Harry, I'm leaving Captain Proton and his universe in your  
capable hands," Tom said, just before B'Elanna pulled him out of  
the holodeck.  
  
Harry smiled and nodded, then he turned toward Seven. "I suppose  
you want another explanation?  
  
Seven stared at him.   
  
"The 'hey' this time was meant to convey an attraction between  
them. They are going to...um...you see..."  
  
"They are going to have sex until Voyager rattles," Seven  
replied.  
  
"Uh...yeah..."  
  
"Saving the Universe may have to wait for another day. Perhaps  
we would be of better service in warning the occupants of deck 4  
and 9 to their imminent arrival."  
  
Harry nodded. "You take B'Elanna's section, and I'll go to  
Tom's."  
  
Then both began to exit the holodeck when Harry turned to her.  
  
"Gee, but who's going to check all the other places along the  
way?" he asked.  
  
Seven shrugged, and smiled slightly. "Hey."  
  
  
The End.  
  
Email is appreciated and craved. Please send it to  
kelhapam@worldpath.net.   
  
Note: My web site addy is: http://unix.worldpath.net/~kelhapam/  
  
Thanks, Ronda, for letting me use "Koranari" in this story!  
  



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